Huge doping ring uncovered in Sweden

Swedish police rounded up 40 people on Tuesday in series of pre-dawn raids across the country in an effort to crack a massive doping scam.

• Stockholm policeman warned after Thai brothel visit (8 Feb 10)
• AstraZeneca to axe jobs despite profit rise (28 Jan 10)
• Ex-police chief arrested for rape (27 Jan 10)

In addition to bringing in dozens for questioning, police confiscated large quantities of steroids, weapons, and ammunition.

The investigation leading to Tuesday’s raids began with the arrest of a 25-year-old man who police believe was trying to flee the country when he was caught by police in Malmö on August 13th.

He had left his home and was carrying a bag full of money, as well as the name and address of a 51-year-old resident of Gävle on Sweden’s east coast.

The 51-year-old and his girlfriend were later remanded to custody on suspicions of serious doping offences.

“We found large quantities of doping drugs and we received signals that his sales basically encompassed the whole of Sweden and took place over the internet,” said Pär Langer of the Gävleborg police department.

Police in several districts, along with the officials from the National Investigation Department (Rikskriminalpolisen), have been working to identify the customers of the suspects already in custody.

According to the Gefle Dagbladet (GD) newspaper, police have been pouring over data retrieved from the 51-year-old’s computer and succeeded in locating a customer registry which may have served as the basis for Tuesday’s raids and subsequent interrogations.

“There’s much to suggest that this is the biggest doping scandal to have ever taken place in Sweden,” said Langer.

According to the police, a large number of the doping drug sales took place in the Stockholm area, and involved the purchase or sales of steroids by people connected to fitness and body building circles.

Police in Jönköping in central Sweden, as well as in Blekinge in the south, and Halland in the west, also participated in Tuesday’s action.

Police in Uppland in eastern Sweden also have also taken people in for questioning. Three men and a woman were questioned during the day. Two have been released but are still considered suspects in the case, according to Sveriges Radio.